There are no rules in Show Business. If NBC had their way they would put everything back to the way it was. Jay Leno, then Conan…Jimmy Fallon would be assed out. It should be interesting to see this all play out. NBC clearly wants Jay Leno back in his old time slot more than they want Conan.

Personally I think Conan is funnier than Leno. I would prefer to watch Conan any day. It sucks that NBC is willing to do anything for Jay and not for Conan. They’d rather get Leno back and keep Jimmy? I hope Conan goes on to another network. NBC is just another corrupt company. F**k NBC and especially MATT LAUER! I can’t stand that prick. Sorry Juan but you have a douche representing NYC morning news…

The NBC-Leno-O’Brian mess is much like the dramas we see on TV and in real life. Some guy, played by NBC, makes a deal with his new mistress, played by Conan, that he will marry her once he has divorced his current wife – Jay Leno. As we all know, it gets very messy and there is no such thing as a divorce when kids are involved (Fallon, affiliates, and viewers). The former is always in the life of the new, and often, the guy gets wanderlust and repeats the whole process with yet another mistress (Fallon??).

It is hard for me to have any sympathy for Conan — he is old enough to know that these Faustian deals never work. I have no sympathy for NBC either and wonder what they were thinking taking a show away from the late night leader and giving it to someone else for what again?? I also have some questions as to why Jay Leno ever agreed to this back in 2004/05?

The question now is what is the future? The same NBC suits that created this mess are still there and that means Conan will have to have eyes in the back of his head looking for the back stabbers if he stays. Jay Leno is tarnished a little and will likewise need eyes in the back of his head. Perhaps it would be in the best interest of both Conan and Jay if they both left NBC and started anew. Can you imagine the thought of having all three former NBC late night comedians on other networks at the same time? I love the idea, but understandably NBC may not. Wonder who they will offer the Night Show to and who will take it if offered?

Finally, there is a reason that NBC’s ratings are 4th of the 4 major networks and are being bought out by Comcast — very poor management! Does it show?

Dave,

the last time the tonight show had any class was while carson was still alive and letterman was considered the anointed son in waiting. with all due respect, leno has never moved beyond facial slapstick and o’brian is too ceribrial for the common man that watches the late news. letterman i think deserves more respect than nbc ever gave him and i think it would be true irony should nbc give him the opportunity to turn them down, should they be foolish enough to ask him to bail them out (as only he could do). i beare no ill will to either leno, o’brian or fallon but i remain a letterman fan and i will not grieve nbc’s demise, should that be the outcome.

Hello People – Sorry to correct the author of this article, but Letterman did not “smash Leno in ratings for several years.” Except for a show here or there, Leno beat Letterman for almost the entire 17 years in the ratings. I agree with a comment above, that NBC got greedy…but that greed came 6 years ago when he convinced Conan to resign by promising him the Tonight Show in 2009. NBC was gambling…thinking that maybe Leno would drop in ratings by then. Guess what, Leno DIDN’T drop in ratings, but NBC followed the agreement anyway and dismantled a successful show.
I agree, I prefer Letterman and Conan over Jay, but the reality is: Jay beat both of them in the ratings and never should have lost the Tonight Show. It’s not personal folks, it’s business. I learned that years ago when I was laid off from my job after winning two annual excellence awards back to back. At least all three of these guys are mult-millionaires and can go home and blow their noses on hundred dollar bills!

Disgusting that Conan, purposely and foolishly, wastes NBC’s money just for the hell of it and his revenge as the people of Haiti suffer!! And he gets $36,000 for doing NOTHING as the nation’s unemployed suffer. He is no better than wall street. He is childish — and his regular audience has outgrown him — which is why he failed last summer and still is. Only now he can add stupid to his resume for wasting millions and millions of $ irresponsibly! Perhaps now, with Leno as the lead in, Jimmy Fallon can get a fair shake.

As Conan told in the last episode, they did not actually waste money. It was not for real. And as those who saw the last episode know, he was trying to rise money for Haiti. All in all, when watching his show, it has been revealed every now and then that he is very active in many kind of charity activities. Remember how much money he got for Newark?

I am partial – I feel for Conan and think there is something genuine that is to be appreciated, and in the end he was talking to his viewers about hope, against cynicism. Looking at the old tapings of the 2006 and 2007, I feel that he had more drive then, perhaps, but he never deserved to be dumped this way. According to the Time blog, Jay stayed not so much because of his talent but because his payout would have been even bigger.